As the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia approaches on May 17, it has been reported that in the first four months of 2014, 102 acts of violence against transgender people have been logged.

It is inconceivable to me that we as a church are unwilling to connect the dots between the church's teaching on homosexuality and the way it's being implemented by members of the hierarchy and the harm it is causing to our LGBT youth.

We sometimes forget that getting laws passed and getting court rulings declared is, comparatively, the easy part. The hate is still out there, however, and the haters are getting more desperate. Our worst enemies right now are complacency and the seductive message that we've "arrived."

In partnership with GLSEN, we are launching a new national Award for Youth Activism to honor the courageous young people who are doing groundbreaking and inspiring work in improving the safety and overall well-being of LGBT youth.

The recent crime wave in Boystown is not easily categorized. Some are economic crimes. Some are hate crimes. And some seem caused by a class and race warfare. What is not new is our community responding to violence.